ARLINGTON, TX — A trade acquisition by the Texas Rangers gave left-hander Andrew Heaney some extra motivation on Tuesday night. Heaney pitched a shutout in a statement win over the Chicago White Sox, 2-0, in Arlington just days after the Rangers acquired star pitcher Max Scherzer from the New York Mets on Sunday.
Heaney lined up one of the best starts of 2023 to keep Texas 0.5 a game up on the Astros in the AL West. The Rangers pitcher turned in six innings, allowed only two hits, and struck out 11 before Manager Bruce Bochy decided 80 pitches was enough and let Heaney have the rest of the night off. Tuesday was Heaney’s deepest start since he threw seven innings against the Baltimore Orioles on May 27.
Adolis Garcia and Mitch Garver generated the only offense in the game that turned into runs with two solo home runs. Garver hit his homerun in the 5th inning, and Garcia hit one in the 7th to give the Rangers a 2-0 win.
What’s most impressive about Heaney’s performance was that he allowed zero walks while striking out 11 batters. The progression of the left-hander this season has to be a comfort to the Rangers' management as Texas eyes its first division title since 2016. Much of the Rangers’ most recent woes are due to a Houston team hot on their heels in second place. In Heaney’s last start against Houston, he overcame a 3-run shot from Alex Bregman in the first inning and went on to pitch five innings, allowing four hits, three runs, and striking out three.
Heaney seems to harbor no ideas of relinquishing his spot in the starting rotation with the addition of Max Scherzer. In a deal on Sunday, July 30, the Rangers traded infield prospect Luisangel Acuna to the New York Mets for Max Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young Award winner joins a Texas Rangers team that has raised eyebrows all season long. Texas has maintained control of the AL West for much of the 2023 season, but the Astros made moves of their own before the MLB trade deadline. Houston reacquired Justin Verlander via trade for two prospects on Tuesday.
Texas Rangers Andrew Heaney
(Credit: tsn.ca)
The race for the AL West title will now enter its final stage over the next two months as both teams use their new weapons to duel each other to the finish line. Maybe MLB fans from Texas will even be treated to a Rangers/Astros ALCS? As it stands now, the Rangers hold the two-seed in the American League, while Houston has the five-seed. There are still more than two months to go before the postseason, but playoff baseball is coming.
Next up, the Rangers continue with the second of the three-game series against the White Sox on Wednesday night, August 2, at Globe Life Field in Arlington at 7:05 p.m.
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